Yerevan Chief Architect Narek Sargsyan confessed that he didn't know the identities of the Mashtots Park storeowners and that no contracts had yet been signed by the Yerevan Municipality.
The RA Public Council has announced that it will hold a discussion regarding the commercial construction now underway in Yerevan’s Mashtots Park.
Finally breaking his silence, Yerevan Mayor Taron Margaryan has stated that the construction taking place at the intersection of Mashtots and Koghpatsi streets is of a temporary nature and not in a green-space.
Igityan noted that shop-owners have a contract with the Yerevan Municipality to set up businesses in the area. He added that most of the stores now being built in the park would be temporary anyway.
The standoff between police and protesters at the Mashtots Park construction site continued yesterday.
Father Gyuregh says parkland should not be used for crass commercialism , especially when Yerevan has so few green spaces left.
Earlier today, around 70 police showed up at Mashtots Park in Yerevan and dispersed a crowd of activists who had been staging a picket to protest the construction of stores in the public green space.
Concerned citizens say they will continue their vigil to stop further construction of stores at Mashtots Park in downtown Yerevan.